Family
by See Jane Write
Summary: Roz conceived that night she and Frasier slept together. When she tells him, he realizes he can't keep his feelings for her hidden anymore. FrasierRoz. Chapter Four up.
1. How About Diamond Earrings?

Family

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything else…Beginning taken from "The Guilt Trippers" (where Roz and Frasier slept together) written by Lori Kirkland.

"Oh, we'll always be friends, Frasier," Roz assured Frasier gently. Her words were all he needed to hear. "Nothing's going to ever change that," she added as the two of them embraced. "I just can't believe you traveled all this way."

Frasier smiled warmly at her. "Well, that's what people do when they care about someone," he told her honestly. He did care about her. He loved her. They might not be in love, but he cared about her more than anyone. She was family to him. "We're really ok?" he asked a moment later.

Roz nodded. "Totally," she agreed. "We just don't need to tell anyone. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Frasier instantly responded. "Wait, my dad kind of already knows," he added softly.

"You told your dad?" Roz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't tell him. He figured it out seeing as your purse was on our table all night," Frasier explained. His face reddened all over again. "Well, once I knew that he knew, I talked to him. I was scared, Roz. Scared of what would happen between us."

Roz smiled as she moved a bit closer to Frasier. "Well, you and I both know that nothing will happen between us. We'll go on as if this never happened. We'll remain friends and just not mention this to anyone else." She gasped and looked into Frasier's eyes. "No one else knows, right?"

"Not unless you told someone," Frasier confirmed. He smiled again as he stood up from the porch. "Now what do you say about going back inside?"

Roz frowned. "And face them?"

"Well, Rodger's here," Frasier pointed out with a smile as he extended his hand to Roz. "Come on. We can annoy your sister some more," he pointed out.

A smile grew on Roz's face. "Ok, but it has to be something really good."

"Better than a diamond bracelet?" Frasier asked. "What more do you want?" He smiled as he opened the door for Roz. The two of them were going to be fine, he decided. They were happy.


	2. Nothing interesting happened for 6 weeks

Six Weeks Later…

Roz did not know what to do. She was beyond nervous. She had to talk to Frasier, and she had to do it immediately, but she could not bring herself to do it yet. How would she begin that conversation? 'Hey, Frasier, guess what. We're having a kid.'?

She groaned. She had known there was a possibility of this. She knew that the two of them had not used protection that night, but as soon as she got home, she tried everything she could think to use. It was not enough. It was not enough with Rick when Alice was conceived. It was not enough now.

She quickly rushed down the hallway towards her booth of the studio in efforts that she would beat Frasier. She thought that he would be playing squash with Niles that day. She had heard something about the two of them doing that this week. She hoped it was this day. The two of them could talk about a lot of things. They had not played squash since Niles and Daphne eloped. She sighed as she rushed into her booth and quickly sat down.

She did not even want to look in a mirror. She knew how awful she must look, and she did not know if she could blame it all on the heat. She looked down at her outfit again. A purple KACL t-shirt and some black sweatpants. _Ok_, she realized. _Could have gone for something a little more work-ish, but it is Friday after all. Perhaps Frasier will cut me some slack. Actually, he shouldn't care, and neither should Kenny._

Roz let out a small breath of relief before opening her purse. She pulled out a small bag of something or another that she had gotten at the vending machine. She frowned. Chocolate-covered raisins. "When have I ever liked these?" she groaned before opening the bag and popping a few in her mouth. She began sucking the chocolate off and searching for a cup in which to spit the raisins.

"Sorry I'm late," Frasier said as he rushed into Roz's booth. He did not stop to look at her before rushing into his own part of the studio and sitting down.

"Sorry that I'm late, too," Roz muttered. She knew she had to tell him. He was bound to find out later that day anyway, and he would probably be hurt if he did not hear it from her mouth. "Um, five seconds," she called weakly after she spit the raisins out into the cup.

Frasier smiled in her direction, but still did not look at her. He then began his show. "Roz, who is our first caller?" Frasier asked as he finally looked at her. He noticed her hair. Sweat was forming around her forehead. Her outfit was not much better. Frasier knew her too well to know that she had not just been at the gym. Something was wrong. "We, um, seem to be having technical difficulties with Roz's microphone," he covered for her. He pushed one of the buttons. "Ok, you're on the air."

"This is Wendy from Seattle," the caller began.

"Hello, Wendy," Frasier said as he reached for a piece of paper from his briefcase. "I'm listening," he added as he grabbed a pen. He then began scribbling a message to Roz. He held it up for her to see while Wendy rambled on about something.

"I see," Frasier said. He was not really listening. "Why do you think that is?" he asked as he waited for Roz's reply. She was doing some sort of gesture with her finger. Frasier frowned before realizing that his note to her was upside down. He rolled his eyes and fixed it.

Roz looked over at Frasier's message to her. It was asking if she would like to talk about this over dinner. She quickly shook her head no. Frasier nodded and went back to writing another message.

"Wendy, what do you think you should do?" Frasier asked a second after Wendy had stopped babbling. Once she started again, Frasier started writing. He held his note up to Roz. This one asked if she would like to play "The Best of Crane" on the radio, so the two of them could have a long talk about whatever was bothering her. Roz pondered it for a moment before nodding yes.

"Very good, Wendy," Frasier announced. "That's what you should do. Have a nice day," he said before quickly disconnecting her. He sighed heavily before continuing. "Something's come up in the booth, and I cannot be with you for the rest of the day, but not to worry. 'The Best of Crane' will be there with you," he assured his listeners. "This is Dr. Frasier Crane wishing you good mental health," he said before going off air.

He quickly rushed over to Roz's booth and placed a gentle hand on his producer's shoulders. "Roz, sweetie, what is it?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her chair. "What's the matter?"

"Um, well, it's kind of hard to explain," Roz began. "I don't know how it happened. I was really careful," she began. She drew in a deep breath, but it was no use. She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes. ­_Damn mood swings,_ she thought. _Why is this so hard to do? I've told him I was pregnant before. I'll just leave out the part where he's the father…_

"Careful," Frasier repeated in confusion. He then took another look at Roz's appearance. As he recalled, it was similar to the way she looked when she first thought she was pregnant with Alice. "Oh god, Roz," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "Shh, I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"That's not all," Roz began as she dabbed at her eyes. "I know who the father is."

"Oh, sweetie, it's Rodger, isn't it?" Frasier asked as he carefully transferred Roz out of her chair and down to the floor with him. He pulled her into his lap and allowed her head to rest against his chest. He began rubbing her back soothingly. "I'm sorry I don't know what else to tell you that will make you feel any better."

"No, it's not Rodger," Roz interrupted. _Damn it- he has to know. He's being too sweet_. "Do you remember what happened with us about six weeks ago? We promised never to mention it again, but damn it, there are consequences!" she managed to say before she stared crying harder.

"Oh," Frasier began in shock. "Oh," he repeated a moment later as the truth sunk finally hit him. Roz was pregnant with his child. He pulled her closer and held her tightly. He did not know what else to do. She obviously had a lot on her mind as did he. He did not know how much she wanted him to be involved, but he would be there for whatever she wanted. He did not care if it was four in the morning, and she only wanted pickles. He would be there. "Roz, you know I'll do anything for you, right?" he asked a moment later. Her tears had lessoned.

Roz nodded. "I know, Frasier, but you don't have to. I don't need a husband or anything. I mean, I'm content with being a single mother of two," she began. "Oh god," she said as she moved her head back against Frasier's chest.

Kenny Daley opened the door to the office. "What's going on here?" he asked before looking down at his two employees on the floor, one of which was clearly crying. "Ok, seriously, what's going on here?" he asked.

"Just some family things," Frasier answered simply as he kept rubbing Roz's back gently.


	3. My Coffee With Niles

My Coffee With Niles

Frasier rushed into Café Nervosa. After spending two hours comforting Roz, Frasier had driven her home. The poor thing went right to sleep. Frasier immediately called Niles and told him to meet him at the café. It was urgent.

"Urgent's an understatement," Frasier muttered as he snatched a table. He waited impatiently for Niles. After what seemed like ages, but was probably only a few minutes, his younger brother did show up. Frasier waved at him and motioned for him to sit down. "Niles, disaster," he said.

"Nice to see you, too," Niles commented as he began wiping off his seat. After he was satisfied, he sat down. "My usual," he informed the passing waiter.

"Niles, this is really urgent, and I really need your help," Frasier began irritably.

"Make that a size larger," Niles told the waiter before devoting his attention to Frasier. "All right. What is it?"

"Well before I tell you that, I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before," he began. He sighed. He had to choose his words carefully for both his sake and Roz's. "About six weeks ago after Daphne's party, Roz and I…had a thing. A mistake, but it happened. We slept together," Frasier said as the waiter came up with Niles' coffee.

"Aren't you two brothers?" the waiter asked with a confused expression on his face.

Frasier looked at him. "Does this concern you?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"It might," the waiter said as he began walking away.

Niles rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Frasier. I won't give him a tip," he assured his brother. "But you were saying that you and Roz slept together," he reminded him calmly. "Wait, what! You slept with Roz! Why?"

"I'm not really sure why. I just know that it happened," Frasier said. He wished he knew why it happened. All along he had been blaming hormones and the fact that they were both lonely…

"Do you love her?" Niles asked simply as he blew at his coffee.

"What?" Frasier asked. "Don't be ridiculous. We just work together." His voice hinted at denial.

"Clearly," Niles pointed out as he took a sip of his drink. "But do you love her?" he repeated.

Frasier thought about that for a moment. It was a question he himself had been wondering for a long time. His talk with Roz only further pushed him. "I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "I think I do. She's a great woman."

"If you say so," Niles began as he kept his focus on his coffee.

Frasier rolled his eyes and took the cup away from him. "Would you stop that?" he asked angrily. "Look, that's not even the point. Just this afternoon, Roz told me that she was pregnant."

"Again?" Niles asked. He was hardly shocked. "And she's keeping it?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, but you won't let me finish," Frasier started. "As far as I know, she's keeping my child," he continued.

Niles dropped his mouth open. "Your child?" he asked. "Did I hear you properly?"

"Yes. Roz and I are having a baby," Frasier answered. "I just don't know what to do." He sighed and shook his head slightly before resting his head in his hand.

"Well, back to my earlier question: Do you love her?" Niles asked simply. He looked over at his brother as he waited for the answer. "Think about it first."

Frasier thought about it. He and Roz have been friends for the past nine years. She has been an invaluable part of his life, and he would not let her go for anything. He felt what she felt. "I think I do," he said finally. "They say most relationships started out as friendships, right?"

"And you're sure that you love her?" Niles asked inquisitively.

"Of course I'm sure!" Frasier said. "It's Roz we're talking about, not some random woman."

"You don't just feel obligated to love her now that you've fathered her child?" Niles asked.

"That is correct, Niles," Frasier snapped. "I love her for who she is, not for whose child she's carrying."

Niles nodded as he stole his cup of coffee back. "Then I think it's obvious what you have to do," he said.

Frasier nodded back. "Thank you, Niles," he said sincerely. "As usual, you make things so much easier. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said as he stood up. "I have to find Roz," he announced.

"And do what exactly?" Niles asked.

"At least tell her how I feel," Frasier answered. "See if we can figure something out."


	4. My Shopping Trip With Daphne

My Shopping Trip With Daphne

Roz pounded on the door to Frasier's apartment. She needed a female to talk to. She had tried sleeping, but that was useless. She needed to talk to someone, and that someone had to be female. She needed to talk to Daphne. Unfortunately, her friend was not at Niles'. She had to be here at Frasier's. Roz groaned as she slumped down to the floor. Hopefully Frasier would not be there. Hopefully no one else would be. She could not deal with any one else at the moment. Martin was great, but he was not a girl. She already knew his views on her raising Alice alone. She could not deal with that. Not now.

The door opened slowly, and Roz looked weakly up at Daphne. "Are you busy?" she asked as she tried to maintain a normal tone of voice as she was unsure of who else was within hearing range. "I've got a sitter for Alice until seven."

"What did you have in mind?" Daphne asked. "I am a married woman now," she reminded Roz with a smile.

Roz groaned. "Yea, that's great for you," she snapped. "Sorry," she immediately apologized. "Shopping now," she said. "I'll explain on the way."

Daphne nodded. She sensed that Roz meant business. She knew something serious was going on. "When Niles gets here, tell him I'm shopping with Roz," she called to Martin presumably.

"Alright," Martin called from the kitchen. "Have a nice time," he said with a wave good-bye as he re-entered the main room with a can of beer. "Nice seeing you, Roz."

Roz nodded weakly then quickly left the apartment. She hit the elevator button repeatedly until it finally opened. She and Daphne rushed into it, and Roz quickly hit the 'Door close' button. "Can you drive?" Roz asked finally. "I don't think I feel comfortable doing it in my condition."

"What's going on, Roz?" Daphne asked with genuine concern. The elevator hit the garage, and Daphne took the keys from her friend. The two of them began walking to Roz's car. "I'm going to figure it out eventually," Daphne pointed out. "You can either tell me or wait until then, but I should warn you if you do that, then it's going to be awkward."

Roz sighed heavily as she opened her door and sat in the passenger seat. She waited for Daphne to sit down before she spoke. "It's already awkward," she said. "I'm pregnant," she admitted. "Please don't tell anyone."

Daphne nodded. "Of course," she said. "Whose is it?" she asked a moment later.

Roz drew in another breath. She was not sure how she felt about this. She knew Frasier was supportive, but she did not know if that was enough for her. Did that make her selfish?

"Roz?" Daphne questioned.

"It's Frasier's," Roz admitted finally. "And before you ask, I don't know how I feel about it. I mean, about the Frasier part at least. The baby part I can handle. I did that before. There I know what to expect. This…this is new."

"Does he know?" Daphne asked simply as she started the car.

Roz nodded. "Of course," she said. "He kind of figured it out," she said. "I was going to tell him today, but the words wouldn't form. Add that to my ghoulish appearance, and it was obvious," she said.

"Where to?" Daphne asked as they approached the end of the garage.

"The mall," Roz said. "Unfortunately, I need some more maternity clothes. I didn't save them all from when I had Alice."


End file.
